Payments System Research Briefings
 

BriefingThe Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's Payments System Research Department's publications cover a range of topics, including types of payments methods, developments in payments networks, and various participants' roles in the payments system. This site provides links to those publications.

To receive an e-mail notification each time a new issue of Payments System Research Briefing is available, click here. To view a publication using a PDF reader, click on the title. If you do not have a PDF reader, you can download a reader from this site. 
  • An Update on Interchange Legislation in the United States - 12/09 by Christian Hung
    This article provides a summary of recent developments in interchange legislation in the United States as well as the recently released Government Accountability Office report detailing its findings on interchange fees.

  • The Benefits of Collecting and Reporting Payment Fraud Statistics for the United States - 10/09 by Richard J. Sullivan
    This article argues that publication of fraud statistics helps the payment industry to coordinate security efforts, provides useful information for policymakers, and helps to promote consumer confidence in payments. However, while other countries regularly publish such statistics, it is an open question whether they will become available in the United States.

  • Backward Glance While Looking Forward - 04/09 by Terri Bradford
    This article takes a backward glance at some of the early emerging payments nearly a decade after their introduction and examines their status today and where they may be heading.

  • International Remittances - 12/08 by Terri Bradford
    This article describes some of the means by which individuals remit funds internationally -- informal networks, money transfer operators, financial institutions and other options -- and discusses some of the factors that may influence the choice of provider.
     
  • Developments in Merchant Acquiring - 09/08 by Terri Bradford and Christian Hung
    This article discusses the origin and roles of merchant acquiring; the models for acquiring; and relevant developments in legislation, PCI compliance, and the Single Euro Payments Area.
     
  • Developments in Interchange Fees in the United States and Abroad - 05/08 by Terri Bradford and Fumiko Hayashi
    This article provides an update on developments in interchange fees in the United States and recent public authority involvement in interchange fees abroad.
     
  • The Evolution of the ACH - 12/07 by Terri Bradford
    This article by Terri Bradford summarizes the beginnings of the ACH, exciting changes underway today, and possible further changes in the future.
     
  • Complex Landscapes: Mobile Payments in Japan, South Korea, and the United States - 10/07 by Terri Bradford and Fumiko Hayashi
    This article provides and overview of the mobile payments landscape in Japan and South Korea and discusses developments in the United States.
     
  • Stored-Value Cards: A Card for Every Reason... - 06/07 by Terri Bradford
    This article discusses the various uses of stored-value cards and the different degrees of their use and acceptance four years after their introduction.
     
  • Paper, Plastic......or Phone? - 12/06 by Terri Bradford
    This article examines mobile-phone payment and banking alternatives in the United States. It explores prospects for growth, available technologies, and the outlook for one or more technologies coming to dominate the market.
     
  • The U.S. Retail Payments System in Transition: Federal Reserve Initiatives - 08/06 by Barbara S. Pacheco
    This article explores the changing landscape of U.S. retail payments: trends, the Fed's role, and the future of payments.
     
  • Payments Fraud: Consumer Considerations - 05/06 by Terri Bradford and Bruce Cundiff
    This article examines the potential for fraud associated with various "traditional" payment methods and the protective measures that consumers should take when using them.
     
  • Contactless: The Next Payment Wave? - 12/05 by Terri Bradford
    This article explores the evolution of contactless payments, whose use will likely increase and could have an important impact on the payments landscape.
     
  • Who's Processing Your Payments? - 08/05 by Terri Bradford and Stuart Weiner
    This article looks at the many roles nonbanks play in payments activities and the oversight questions that arise as a result.
     
  • Early Experience with Check 21 - 04/05 by Larry Taft and Nathan Halmrast
    This article looks at some of the early developments since the Check 21 law became effective and some of the remaining barriers to a more efficient and electronic check clearing system.
     
  • Payment Types at the Point of Sale: Merchant Considerations - 12/04 by Terri Bradford
    There are various costs associated with accepting alternative payment types. The costs associated with these payment types are a serious merchant consideration.
  • A New Era - 03/04 by Stuart E. Weiner
    The U.S. Payments System has entered a new era — one that is witnessing a marked decline in the use of paper checks and a sharp increase in the use of electronic payments.